Kia is making some big improvements to their luxury sedan for 2019, with a new twin turbo V6 and standard AWD. I think it will be tough for them to sway consumers on the idea of a $64k Kia, but it looks like they have made some notable changes to the cabin design as well. The new powerplant allows it to hit 60mph in just 5.2 seconds despite weighing in at 4,717lbs. There is also a VIP package that comes with an upgrade to the rear seats.

This is a big ask for a Kia, and it presents the same obstacles that they faced with the new Stinger. As much progress as they have made over recent years, many still view them as a discount brand and its going to be an uphill battle for them to prove otherwise. I'm impressed with the improvements they've made over the outgoing model, but I feel like Genesis is much further ahead.

Kia has been making big strides, despite the bias that people still place on their badge. I would say that the Stinger might be the most undervalued performance car from last year. Not surprised they have adopted that powertrain for the new K900 and from those figures its already yielding some positive results. The mood lighting is a really nice interior accent and I think it goes a long way in making the car feel more premium.

Any idea if the lighting can be controlled in any way, like color or brighness? I know some automatically adjust based on drive mode but Mercs new MBUX system allows you to configure everything to your liking.

I have heard that the new K900 offers 64 different lighting options to choose between, so yes it should be customizable. The car also has an intelligent lighting control system that relies on proximity sensors to automatically brighten by 20% when it senses you reaching for a switch on the dash.

that reminds me a lot of the S-Class which was one of the first to debut lighting tech similar to what Genesis is bringing to market
its just too bad they didn't bring it out sooner along with other features like gesture control

Kia has made some very good improvements for the 2019 model, but that's come at a price. I know they have said that they don't have any plans on luxury or performance sub brands, but that may be their best way forward. Badge bias is not easy thing to overcome, even if your products deliver exactly what you set out to do.